It’s concerning dealing with a squeaky Maytag Bravos XL Dryer. Sometimes the Maytag Bravos XL dryer squealing sound points to a serious issue, such as a worn-out or defective component, and at other times, the problem is only trivial.
Your Maytag XL dryer is squealing because of loose screws, trapped objects, lint clogging, unsteady feet, or a defective or worn-out motor, idler pulley, door hinge, felt seal, belt, drum glides, support rollers, drum bearings or roller shafts.
Ideally, you can tell the most likely cause of the squeaky sound depending on where the sound originates from in the dryer. For example, if the noise comes from the bottom part, the likely cause of the fault is loose feet or a worn-out motor.
And if it’s from the front, it could be a faulty idler pulley, felt seal, or door hinge. But once it comes to the rear part, you should check the drive belt, drum glides, support rollers, drum bearings, and roller shafts.
However, if you aren’t sure where the sound comes from, check if the dryer is lint clogged or if there are loose screws or foreign items.
I’ll walk you through all these steps to enable you to fix your squeaky Bravos XL dryer. But first, let’s discuss the issues and their applicable fixes.
In a hurry? Below is a quick guide to troubleshooting your Maytag Bravos XL dryer when it won’t stop squealing.
Maytag Bravos XL Dryer Squealing – Quick Troubleshooting Guide
| Noise Origin | Likely Cause | Recommendation |
| Not Sure | Loose screws, trapped items, or lint clogging | Fasten any loose screws, remove trapped foreign objects from the pockets, and clean the dryer |
| Bottom Part | Unsteady dryer feet or worn-out dryer motor | Adjust and tighten the dryers feet or replace the dryer motor |
| Front Part | Worn-out felt seal, door hinge, or idler pulley | Replace the felt seal, door hinge, or idler pulley if they are worn out |
| Rear Part | A worn-out or defective drive belt, drum glide, support roller, drum bearing, or roller shaft | Replace the worn-out or defective component |
Why Is My Maytag Bravos XL Dryer Squeaking?
Generally, a squeaky Maytag Bravos XL dryer could be a result of any of these issues:
1. Loose Screws (Squealing Brand New Maytag Bravos XL Dryer)
If your Maytag Bravos XL dryer is newly bought and squeals, it could be that some screws are unfastened well. You need to find these screws and secure them, and you can check inside and outside.
Fix
Check any loose screws inside and outside the dryer and fasten them. As mentioned, this check is more critical when the dryer is new.
2. Loose Foreign Items (Trapped Items in Clothes)
It’s easy to forget foreign objects, especially metallic items like keys, rings, coins, pins, and broken zips. Once these items are trapped in the clothes, they may produce a squeaky sound when the dryer runs.
Fix
Check for any foreign items trapped in the clothes and remove them. That means you must first turn off the dryer and preferably unplug it.
Meanwhile, ensure you inspect inside the drum as some metallic objects might have dropped in the drum as the clothes turned.
3. Lint Clogging
Over time, the dryer accumulates lint, especially on the blower, drive belt, and idler pulley. Once that’s the case, the dryer may squeak as it runs to show that these components need changing.
The issue, however, is preventable by periodically cleaning the dryer’s interior, especially around these components.
Fix
Take down the back panel to clean the dryer around the blower, drive belt, and idler pulley. Do this if it has been a while since cleaning the dryer’s internal components.
Maytag Bravos XL Dryer Squeaking from The Bottom
If you highly suspect that the irking squealing sound comes from the bottom part of your dryer, then the cause is likely to be any of these two:
4. Unstable Dryer Feet
If the dryer’s feet are either loose or unleveled, the dryer will become quite unstable, thus unable to run silently. So, it’s more likely to make some annoying sound. If it doesn’t make the squealing sound, it’ll more likely produce the vibrating sound.
Fix
Inspect the dryer’s feet for looseness and tighten them. If they are unlevelled, adjust them accordingly. Consult your dryer’s manual if you can’t do it.
5. Worn-out Drive Motor
If your Maytag dryer is squealing from the bottom and the issue has nothing to do with loose or non-uniform feet, it’s likely due to a worn-out drive motor.
You can tell if the motor is the problem if you listen to it as it runs closely. You’ll most likely notice the squeaking sound coming from it. Sometimes, your Maytag Bravos XL dryer won’t start due to a defective motor.
Fix
Locate the drive motor in the rear panel and replace it if it’s noisy. That’s after ruling out loose/unlevelled feet.
Maytag Bravos XL Dryer Is Squeaking from The Front
Now, if the dryer appears to be squeaking from the front, the issue may be one of these three:
6. Won-Out Felt Seal
The dryer door seal or felt seal keeps an airtight seal between the drum and the dryer door. Over time, this seal wears out and can’t prevent air escape. Once that happens, the dryer may produce a squeaky sound while running, likely originating from the front part.
Fix
The dryer door won’t shut airtight if the seal is worn out. So, if you are having difficulty closing the door, inspect the felt seal for wear and replace it.
7. Ungreased/Worn-Out Door Hinge
The door hinge is another member of the dryer that can wear out over time and result in a squeaking sound. Sometimes, however, the issue could be the lack of adequate lubrication. So, it may help to inspect it for both problems so that you can act accordingly.
Fix
Check if the door hinge needs lubrication and lubricate it. However, if it appears worn out, replace it.
8. Worn-Out Idler Pulley
If the reason your dryer is squeaking from the front has nothing to do with the felt seal or door hinge, it’s more likely due to a worn-out idler pulley. That’s more important if the sound comes from the front right side even though the idler pulley is at the back panel.
Remember, the idler pulley provides the drive belt with the correct tension to allow it to turn the drum. But once it wears out, it’s unable to do that, and the dryer will make a squeaking sound when running.
Maytag Bravos XL Dryer Squealing Sound from The Rear Part
If your Maytag dryer is making the squealing sound from its rear part, it’s more likely due to a worn-out or defective part, and it could be any of the following:
- Drive belt – The drive belt’s job is to rotate the drive motor. So, if the drive motor doesn’t turn, the drive belt could be faulty. Bust still, if the belt is worn out or damaged, it may produce a squeaky sound.
- Drum glides – The drum glides, drum slide, or drum pad support the dryer drum as it turns. While at it, the drum glide may squeak when it’s defective.
- Support rollers – The support or drum rollers hold the drum steadily as it turns. If they are defective, the drum will move shakily, and the rollers themselves may make a squeaking sound.
- Drum bearings – Like the support rollers, drum bearings support the drum as it spins. By doing their job, they wear out over time, and once that happens, they can make a squeaking sound.
- Roller shafts – Roller shafts are small pins inside the dryer that may develop scratches or wear out. Once that’s the case, they squeak as the dryer turns.
Fix
It’s recommendable to replace any of the above dryer parts if they are worn out or defective. You may have to remove the back panel to make the assessment.
But How Do You Fix a Squeaky Maytag Bravos XL Dryer?
You can fix a squeaky Maytag Bravos XL dryer using these quick steps:
Step 1 – Check for loose screws
Check any loose screws inside and outside the dryer and fasten them. That’s important if the dryer is newly bought.
Step 2 – Check for loose/trapped foreign objects
Inspect the drum and, in particular, the clothes pockets to see if there are loose metallic objects like coins, pins, and keys and remove them.
Step 3 – Clean the dryer’s interior
Take out the rear panel to access the dryer’s interior and clean the lint clogging off.
Step 4 – Adjust the dryer feet
If the dryer’s feet are loose or non-uniform, fasten and adjust them accordingly. This check is essential if the screeching is from the bottom.
Step 5 – Replace the drive motor (if the noise is from the bottom)
If nothing is wrong with the dryer’s feet, but it won’t stop squeaking from the bottom, listen to the drive motor carefully. If it’s squeaking or making any other weird sound, replace it.
Step 6 – Check the door seal, hinge, and idler pulley (if the noise is from the front)
Check if the door seal, hinge, or idler pulley is worn out or faulty if the squeaky is from the front. Once you find the worn-out or defective component, replace it.
Step 7 – Inspect the belt, drum glide, support roller, drum bearings, and drum shaft for wearing (if the noise comes from the back)
The drive belt, drum glide, support roller, drum bearing, or drum shaft could be worn out. If they are, then you’ll have to replace them. This is important if the sound comes from the backside.
Concluding Thoughts on the Maytag Bravos XL Dryer Squealing:
Discussed are the issues to check when your Maytag Bravos XL dryer won’t stop squealing. What is more important is to listen carefully to note where the squeaky sound comes from. If it’s from the bottom, it’s either because of unsteady feet or a worn-out drive motor.
If it’s from the front part, it could be due to a worn-out felt seal, door hinge, or idler pulley. And if it’s from the rear part, don’t overlook a worn-out or defective drum glide, support roller, drum bearing, or roller shaft.
But before you can go through all those checks, you may want to consider loose screws, trapped metal objects, or a clogged dryer interior.